Downloads
Macon, Georgia.
The quiz is an experimental tool designed to help local leaders assess strengths and challenges related to housing in their downtowns or commercial corridors. Respondents are prompted to answer 12 questions to find out the “personality” of their district and are directed to resources that cover related housing topics.
The Housing Quiz follows the release of At Home on Main Street: A Report on the State of Housing in Downtown and Neighborhood Commercial Districts, a data-centric report on the state of housing in Main Street districts, and At Home on Main Street: A Housing Guidebook for Local Leaders, a user-friendly guide containing recommendations for supporting housing and case studies from Main Streets across the country.
This work is generously supported by the 1772 Foundation.
Main Street Housing Resources
Here are the complete set of resources included in the quiz. The resources have been divided into ten categories based on the recommendations provided in the quiz.
Building Inventories and Market Studies
Main Street America
Center for Community Progress
Building Rehabilitation
Main Street America
- At Home on Main Street: Project Spotlight, Klamath Falls, Oregon — OHSU Housing
- At Home on Main Street: Project Spotlight, Macon, Georgia — Brewhouse Lofts
- At Home on Main Street: Project Spotlight, Emporia, Kansas — Baldwin Motor Lofts
- Main Spotlight: Behind the Ribbon Cutting — The Merwyn Building
- Main Spotlight: Catalyzing Upper Floor Housing with the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program
- Main Spotlight: Small-Scale Real Estate Projects Can Leverage Big Changes
Climate/Disaster Preparedness
Main Street America
- Main Spotlight: Four Steps Toward More Resilient Main Streets
- Community Spotlight: Disaster Preparedness in the Allapattah District of Miami, Florida
- Main Spotlight: Preparedness Month on Main Street
- Community Spotlight: Stories of Disaster Preparedness from the National Association For Latino Community Asset Builders
- Main Spotlight: Getting Ready for the Unexpected with the Main Street Disaster Preparedness Toolkit
- A Big Win for Older Buildings, Main Streets, and the Climate
Federal Emergency Management Agency
National Park Service
Codes and Regulations
Main Street America
American Planning Association
Center for Community Progress
International Code Council
Upstairs Downtown
Connecting Main Street and Housing
Main Street America
- At Home on Main Street: Woodbine, Iowa
- At Home on Main Street: Lansing, Michigan
- At Home on Main Street: Charlevoix, Michigan
- At Home on Main Street: New Orleans, Louisiana
- At Home on Main Street: Eureka, California
- At Home on Main Street: Estimating the Economic Impact of a Newly-Occupied One-Bedroom Apartment
- At Home on Main Street: How to Start Engaging with Housing Development
Funding Property Development
Main Street America
- At Home on Main Street: How are Main Street Housing Projects Funded?
- Main Spotlight: Catalyzing Upper Floor Housing with the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program
CDBG Coalition
Council of Development Finance Agencies
Grow America
Internal Revenue Services
Local Housing Solutions
MacArthur Foundation
National Housing Conference
National Park Services
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Opportunity Finance Center
US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Housing Affordability
Main Street America
- Main Spotlight: Behind the Ribbon Cutting — The Merwyn Building
- Historic Preservation Advocacy to Help Overcome the Housing Crisis: HUD Pro Housing Program and Other Opportunities
HUD User
National Housing Conference
Infill Construction
Main Street America
Small-Scale Development
Main Street America
Vacancy
Main Street America
Greater Ohio Policy Center
Questions? Email research@mainstreet.org
Related Resources
How to Build a Better Building Inventory with the BOOMS Tracker
Watch this webinar to learn about the Building Opportunities on Main Street (BOOMS) Tracker's functionality, see a live demonstration of how quick and easy it is to enter data, and get a preview for what's next for this powerful tool made for local leaders.
Building Opportunities on Main Street Tracker
Designed for local leaders, this user-friendly property inventory tool allows users to easily gather, store, and showcase information about buildings and lots in their districts. The Building Opportunities on Main Street Tracker (BOOMS) Tracker is available to all designated Main Street districts in our network.
deCoding Downtown
This guide from Main Street Alabama identifies the ways that municipal regulations can be used to support downtown transformation efforts with an emphasis on zoning and building codes.
Determining Main Street Boundaries
Use this resource to guide your efforts to established or re-draw the boundaries of your downtown or neighborhood commercial district. Published by Texas Main Street Program.
Community Reuse Property Prioritization Tool
Use this tool to help you understand property characteristics and history, ownership, environmental conditions, and reuse planning to make more informed decisions. Published by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
The Future Is Now: Main Street Development Strategies
Watch this webinar to learn how to use incubation spaces, fabrication labs, entrepreneurial training classes, adult pitch funding activities, investment groups, and alternative finance enhancements to drive downtown growth.
The Greenest Building
This groundbreaking study concludes that building reuse almost always offers environmental savings over demolition and new construction.
Fire Safety in Historic Buildings
As you work with property owners to develop historic structures for retail, housing, and other uses, it is important to understand the necessary fire safety upgrades you need to make. Handbook published by National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Washington, DC © Lori Feinman
A Housing Guidebook for Local Leaders
As part of our "At Home on Main Street" project, this guidebook provides detailed guidance on zoning, regulations, downtown vacancies, real estate funding, and more to help local leaders improve housing access and affordability in their communities.
A Report on the State of Housing
As part of our "At Home on Main Street" project, this report explores nationwide research on housing stock, affordability, and accessibility in historic downtowns and neighborhoods.
Main Street Guide for Property Development
This guide from the Washington Main Street Program provides a primer than Main Street programs can use as they approach property development and real estate management.
Marion, Iowa. © Eagle View Partners
Tax Credits 101
National Trust for Historic Preservation experts share how non-profits can use tax credits to protect historic buildings and community assets.
Absentee Property Owners 101
Advice for downtown managers to resolve issues with absentee property owners to ensure a vibrant and sustainable downtown landscape. Published by Indiana Main Street.
Why We Need to Invest in Transformative Placemaking
An article from State of Main describing the need for place-led economic development that produces strong economic outcomes for communities.
Seeing Small
Learn why small-scale development projects and incremental improvements are the key to creating vibrant local economies and distinctive places that will thrive well into the future. Published in State of Main.
Manufacturers Finding New Homes along Main Street
Independent makers and manufacturers are helping to fuel a renaissance in downtowns and commercial districts, harnessing renewed interest in locally produced materials and experiential shopping. Published in State of Main.
Crowd-Funded Real Estate
Learn how local funding solutions like investment clubs and community-driven fundraising can kickstart downtown redevelopment.- Published in Main Street Now Journal.
On the “Flip” Side of Historic Preservation
Learn how a Main Street turned a historic preservation problem into an real estate opportunity and learned how to acquire, rehab, and save historic buildings while bringing in critical income. Published in main Street Now Journal.
Zoning Codes: A Powerful Community Redevelopment Tool
Revised zoning codes and updated land-use plans give communities the ability to shape their future while protecting their past. Published in Main Street Now Journal.
Making the Case for Retail Leasing
Filling vacant retail space is a persistent challenge. Every commercial district has a few stubborn vacancies that detract from its visual appeal and reduce long-term economic vitality. In this article, Errin Welty explains how to assess these spaces and work with resistant landlords.
Marshalltown, IA
Doing Away with Demolition-by-Neglect
Find out what can be done to ensure that our historic buildings withstand the test of time. Published in Main Street Now Journal.
Turning Vacancies into Places to Call Home
See how a group of citizens in Goldsboro, North Carolina, devised a plan to reduce residential vacancies in three downtown neighborhoods.
A New Take on Pop-Ups
To reduce storefront vacancies, the Main Street program in Cambridge, Maryland, created the Holiday Pop-Up Project, which gave two entrepreneurs the chance to test out their retail concepts rent-free for two months.
Integrating Historic Property and Cultural Resource Considerations into Hazard Mitigation Planning
Hazard mitigation planning is an important process to protect your historic assets. This guide will take you through the processes of organizing your resources, assessing risks, developing your plan, and implementing your plan.
